The Tundra Passage: After the Dark

The After Collection, #4

by

K.A. Jarvis

Exciting, suspenseful story of survival and political intrigue above the Arctic Circle.

The Tundra Passage: After the Dark is the fourth book in author K.A. Jarvis’s riveting After Collection, a series of standalone survival thrillers with the common threads of personal resilience, hope, and found family in the face of catastrophic disasters and societal collapse. In this latest tale, newly graduated Floridian veterinarian Grace Campbell heads to the Alaskan tundra in search of the father she’d never known about until after her mother’s death. But just as she begins her journey, the electrical grid mysteriously starts glitching and eventually fails completely, leaving the lower 48 states in darkness and danger. When the bush plane she’s in is forced to crash-land in the back of beyond, killing the local pilot, it falls to Grace and the pilot’s loyal wolf-dog hybrid to guide the other passengers, including an eleven-year-old girl, to the nearest point of civilization: the research station where Grace’s father may be working. However, one of the other survivors isn’t who they claim to be and may be working against the group’s best interests. 

Grace Campbell is a wonderful main character, a good woman who had a very difficult childhood, having to pull herself up by her own bootstraps from a way too early age, and learning that she is the only person she can truly rely on when things need doing. The first quarter of the book is devoted to building Grace’s backstory, and understanding where she came from is critical to the development of the character and how she can handle the later events: such a good story. She has the natural self-doubts one would expect from a lifelong Floridian stranded in the wilderness of northwest Alaska, and she must overcome a big learning curve quickly to keep everyone safe. I loved her relationship with the malamute-wolf crossbreed, Sika, and some of the scenes with the dog were exciting and emotional as he protects his newfound family from the dangers they encounter. 

Besides the struggles of surviving the long trek to safety, the story also includes a sweet romance that slowly forms over the days of travel. Two single, self-reliant people learn about themselves and each other, building trust and a strong partnership as they overcome the many obstacles on their way to safety. 

The author’s writing style is compelling and immersive, and I was immediately drawn into Grace’s life, her questions about her father’s identity, and her mother’s inexplicable decision to withhold that information from her. Later, the survivors’ journey across the tundra to the remote permafrost research station was so riveting, I felt I was along for the trek; I was exhausted by the time the book came to a close. I didn’t want to put this book down the entire time I was reading it. 

I recommend THE TUNDRA PASSAGE to readers of thrillers, suspense, and survival stories, especially those set in Alaska or with post-apocalyptic elements. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tours.